How can PHP handle special characters like umlauts in string replacement functions?

When handling special characters like umlauts in string replacement functions in PHP, it is important to use the mb_ functions provided by the Multibyte String extension. This extension allows PHP to properly handle multibyte characters, such as those found in languages like German with umlauts. By using functions like mb_str_replace(), you can ensure that special characters are handled correctly during string replacement operations.

// Example code snippet demonstrating how to handle special characters like umlauts in string replacement
$text = "Möglichkeiten sind endlos";
$search = "Möglichkeiten";
$replace = "Optionen";

$result = mb_str_replace($search, $replace, $text);

echo $result; // Output: Optionen sind endlos